The past decade has been marked by a technological revolution driven by the convergence of the data processing industry with the consumer electronics industry. The effect has, in turn, driven consumer electronics technologies that have been known and available but relatively quiescent over the years to now come into great demand in the marketplace.
The rapid expansion in the capacity of computers to perform support functions, the greater and greater miniaturization of computers, as well as reduction in costs to perform memory and computer operations has opened the door for computer controlled consumer instrumentation. This has resulted in a new generation of computer or data processor controlled image capturing devices, e.g. electronic or digital cameras that are miniaturized so as to not be noticeable when carried by users. An example of this proliferation of these image capturing devices is the video camera incorporated into a major portion of current cellular telephones. The uncontrolled usage of such devices has resulted in the unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of individual people. However, of even greater commercial and governmental significance, the uncontrolled usage of such devices results in the theft of a wide variety of commercial, artistic and governmental image content data presentations and transactions that are electronic entertainment and artistic property, commercially confidential or classified as government secrets.